The First
by LordMelvin
Summary: The Warframes. Warriors from an age long past. Masters of the old ways. This is the story of their beginning.


She was sitting by herself, unnoticed by the rushing crowds around her. It would be improper to act otherwise. A woman approached, dressed in military garb.

"Are you Sariah?." She asked. Sariah nodded, her eyes revealing the panic hidden from her face. "I have news of your husband."

"Really?" she whispered, her voice cracked with emotion. "You've found him? Is he okay?"

"There was...an accident." The soldier responded, "He was taken into intensive care. They operated and…" She trailed off.

Sariah leaned forward, her voice urgent. "What happened? Where is my husband?"

* * *

They stood in a circle, gazing toward the center of the room. Whispers echoed back and forth, soft discussions of the shimmering field before them and the lives they had left behind. A door hissed open, and all eyes turned to the newcomer. Her demeanor immediately announced her as military before her uniform or voice did.

"Welcome. Thank you all for meeting me here so promptly." She strode into the room, taking position at the last unoccupied terminal. "My name is Zo'Ra Aishin. I work for Localized Operational Threat Utilization Administration and Security . You have all been called here because you are experts in your field. Neuro-surgeons, nanite engineers, biochemists; all of you have a purpose."

"And what purpose is that exactly?" A man asked. Murmured assent rumbled through the room. Zo'Ra raised a hand for silence.

"As you all know, the war with the Sentients has been raging more violently than ever. What you don't know, however, is that we are losing." A few muffled gasps emerged from the group. "With every new weapon or tactic we bring to bear, the Sentients use against us with more efficiency and power than we could ever imagine. Which is why you're all here. We need a new tool, a new stratagem or we will not survive the end of this war." She punctuated this statement with a single keystroke. The stasis field cleared and all present directed their attention at the operation table contained within.

"This is Kairan. One of the first lost the Void to return. Preliminary diagnostics show 85% mutation of his cell structure, with further deviation halted by stasis containment." Holographic screens blinked into existence streaming with reams of biological data. "Kairan is an anomaly among victims in that his nervous structure displays none of the usual degeneration of Void exposure. In fact, further analysis of his condition revealed increased regeneration as well as heightened reflexes and spatial awareness." Zo'Ra clasped her hands and looked at each member in the assembled group. "I have been authorized to lead a new project, one that if successful will put us at the forefront of all conflicts to come. We call it: The Tenno Initiative. The data is being streamed to your consoles now. Everything you need will be provided for you. We, the Orokin, have complete faith in your abilities."

Panels in the ceiling retracted and multiple jointed arms descended, their arms sheathed in shimmering fields of their own. Hypodermic needles full of dark colored liquids, bright bladed scalpels and bonesaws, trays of a metallic cloth that seemed to move of its own volition. The shimmering arms swung into action, blades and forceps peeling away the ruined skin to reveal the tortured muscles and organs underneath. Glittering needles poured their sloshing contents into Kairan's body, alchemical brews concocted in laboratories that never existed by scientists no one knew. The hours stretched on, only the soft whirring of the operation armature to break the low drone of the stasis field. Discarded containers of boosters littered the floor, collected by the small maintenance drones commonly seen among Orokin constructions.

At long last, the arms retracted, the surgeons and engineers stepped back, and Zo'Ra stirred from her silence. "Initiate the final procedure."

A neural engineer looked up, "But that will…"

"I am aware of what it will do," Zo'Ra interrupted, her voice stern, "but if he is to be of use to us he cannot remember who he was before. Do it."

A thin ray of light ran over Kairan's face. His fingers twitched slightly.

"Excellent. Follow me, and you shall see the fruits of your labor." A door opened, and the group filed out. Long corridors sheathed in steel snaked away into the facility, but Zo'Ra lead them into a nearby chamber. Inside, comfortable looking seats overlooked the operation chamber, where the consoles had also retracted into the floor. Only the stasis field and its occupant remained. Zo'Ra stood near the window and gestured for her companions to sit. Once they were all seated, she pressed a button on the wall and the stasis field faded. With his form once again affected by time, a rapid change came over Kairan's transformed body. The sheets applied to his skin twisted and flowed, covering his body in a suit of strangely organic design. Whispers traded back and forth in the observation room but all eyes remained on Kairan. Zo'Ra pushed another button on the wall and spoke. "Awake, Tenno."

He stirred, raising himself up on his elbows before rising into a sitting position. The change had covered his face with a protective helmet that sported no visor, yet he seemed to see all the same. He scanned the room, the deliberation with which he moved showing caution at unfamiliar surroundings. A hologram of a woman shimmered into the air behind him, and he turned at the sudden change in light. Zo'Ra spoke again.

"I am the LOTUS, Friend and guide. I see that the cryosleep has taken your memory. It does not matter that you remember, only that you can fight. You are Excalibur. You are Tenno." A locker opened in the wall, containing a sword, a rifle and a pistol. "You will take up your weapons, the gun and blade. You will master your Warframe. You are our only hope, our last stand against the darkness. But you will not be alone. I will prepare you."

* * *

The soldier's eyes were devoid of emotion, as empty as the cold of space beyond the windows. "He died. He was exposed to the Void for too long. There was nothing we could do."

Tears welled up in Seriah's eyes. Her fists clenched, holding back the screaming sobs.

Zo'Ra held her cap in her hands. "I'm so sorry for your loss."


End file.
